Under Watchful Eyes
by DubstepPhoenix
Summary: Tom and Alice share a quiet evening together as the sun sets, but the Spook is unsurprisingly displeased with their close friendship. As they set off together for Spook's business at a manor in Pendle, increasing frustration between the three could mean some relationships take strange turns...
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any characters, plot lines, placenames or locations used in the Wardstone Chronicles. They are the property of Joseph Delaney, and he does a bloody good job with them.

_**Author's note: This is set during Tom's time living with Alice and the Spook in the Chipenden house.**_

I drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, taking in the last of the warm air as the sun sunk beneath the mountains. I was siting on the bench where my master would often lecture me in lessons, although this was a rare situation in which I didn't need to be taking notes or concentrating on a mountain of sketches. This was me using one of my infrequent "free time" slots allocated by the Spook, and despite his usual disapproval of Alice joining me, she had the evening free as she had copied an impressive amount of the Spook's book load for the day. Alice sat down beside me, hardly making a sound as she nestled gently against my side. I immediately felt at total ease. When Alice was with me, everything seemed perfect; I decided to tell her at once how happy she made me.

"It's a beautiful sunset" She said, her raven hair tickling my neck.

"It is... Do you like it here?" I found myself asking the question before I'd even thought about it, and Alice paused before she answered.

"Like it here, I do. Old Gregory takes some getting used to, but I like being able to see you, Tom". I couldn't stop myself breaking into a grin - Alice truly was the best friend I'd ever had.

"The Spook won't like me talking to you like this, Alice... but I need to say this". Alice sat up, her hand quickly finding mine. She looked at me expectantly, with eying me calmly but listening intently.

"What is it, Tom?"

"I just... I wanted to tell you that you're the best friend anyone could have... I love your company, Alice" The words awkwardly fell out of my mouth, and as she gave me a warm smile I pretended to be incredibly interested in my feet so she wouldn't see my embarassment. I was just about to get up and go back to the house, but Alice's left hand reached across and gently held my cheek. I couldn't bring myself to move; I looked up at her and saw an eager look in her eyes. She leant in towards me and kissed me gently on the mouth, her red lips embracing my own softly. I returned the kiss, exploring her tongue with my own hesitantly - I'd never kissed anyone before. I felt awkward but at the same moment totally calm and blissful. Acting on impulse, I ran my free hand into her hair and stroked gently. Alice's reaction was kiss me more deeper and with more passion, and I was really beginning to enjoy this special moment until a gruff voice cleared its throat.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." The Spook said grimly, causing Alice and I to sharply pull away from each other and clumsily get to our feet. "I think it's time you two came inside. You and I need to talk some Spook's business, lad. That means an early bed time for you tonight, girl". Alice didn't think to argue back, she knew it was useless to question the Spook's authority, especially when he seemed to be in one of his moods like tonight.

When my master and I sat down in the study, he look grim-faced and almost angry. I thought it would be polite to ask if anything was wrong, so I pulled my chair in and began to speak.

"Is there something -"

"Be quiet, lad! Can't you see that I'm not in the mood for your insolent questioning?" The Spook raised a hand to silence me as he spoke, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. He was certainly in one of his moods, but I hadn't the faintest idea why. I could only guess it was Spook's business, as he said, but I had a gut feeling that it was about Alice.

"Is this about Alice and me?" I said nervously, daring to ask question my master. His face screwed up in irritation for my disobedience, but then my heart sank when he nodded gravely.

"I've told you about girls with pointy shoes, have I not? I've told you about how we can't let a woman be a distraction to our work, have I not?" He asked, frighteningly calm. I could tell one wrong move here and he would give me a real torrent of verbal abuse, so I chose my words carefully.

"I didn't mean to, Mr Gregory... it-it won't happen again" I stuttered, hanging my head in shame. The Spook got to his feet and moved past me, a satisfied smile on his face. He rested his hand on my shoulder, and added ominously before he left:

"If it happens again, the girl will have to go. I can't let a witch, however young, walk freely in the County. Put her in her place or I shall put her in a pit. Goodnight, lad..."

That night I slept restlessly - just as things were getting better, it seemed my happiness was to be short-lived. Of course I wanted to do my master proud, but I couldn't just cast Alice aside - she's my friend. I managed to fall asleep, but not without worrying for what the future at my master's Chipenden house would hold.

**First chapter, what did you think? I'm happy to keep writing if I get some reviews. Thanks for your time.**


	2. Chapter 2: Our bench?

**Author's note: As mentioned in the previous chapter, I own nothing of the Wardstone Chronicles series of books. No characters, no placenames, nothing. It's all under the watchful eyes (Get it?) of Joseph Delaney.**

I awoke with the hope that the feeling of dread in my stomach from the previous night would have faded, but there was still that pang of uncertainty and worry buried away inside me. Unable to face breakfast as my stomach was so uncomfortable, I feigned illness and told my now-impatient master that I hadn't the strength to leave my bed. Muttering under his breath in annoyance, my master descended the stairs briskly and I could still hear his incoherent ramblings from the kitchen. I was straining so hard to hear what he was saying, I didn't even notice Alice in the doorway.

"Not really ill, are you Tom?" She said, smiling warmly as I jumped, surprised. She was wearing her usual black dress but not her pointy shoes, and her silky black hair complimented her radiant face. I smiled back and quietly replied:  
>"Not really. I'm fine, just not hungry." Alice gave me a knowing look, and sat down on the bed beside me.<br>"You best come down and explain that to Old Gregory then, not to mention apologise to the boggart. You know it doesn't take kindly to having its work unappreciated..."  
>"I suppose you're right... but it's so comfy in here!" I joked, and Alice sighed at my laziness.<br>"And just how comfy could it be?" she asked, scrabbling under the sheets of my bed and burying her head between the feather pillow and my left cheek. My body went rigid with nerves, and suddenly I was extremely aware that I was only wearing undergarments and a thin nightshirt. There was a silence that lasted what seemed like an age, which was interrupted by my master calling from downstairs.

"Girl, come down here and clear up this kitchen at once!" was the command, and Alice let out an exasperated sigh of frustration and jumped out of the bed. I felt bad - not only did my master abuse his powers over her, but secretly I wanted her to stay with me a while longer.

"Why must I ALWAYS do the cleaning in this house?" Alice muttered to herself, and after stretching out, I threw on some fresh clothing and followed her downstairs. The kitchen was empty but for the leftovers of breakfast, my own plate embarrassingly full and going slightly cold. Not wanting to be rude to the boggart, I announced an apology for my lateness to the open room and tucked into the eggs and bread first.

"Old Gregory's in the garden, Tom. He's been sitting at our bench - sorry, I meant your lecture bench!" My head cocked up in curiosity when she said that it was "our bench", as it seemed that Alice had just revealed that she thought the bench in the western garden to be like a special place for us. In truth, I quite liked that idea, and it was amusing when, to cover up this mistake, she bit her lip awkwardly and shuffled off into the garden. I didn't think Alice had any inner feelings about me, this was more an incident in which it sounded like she did, and so she felt embarrassed that it had come out that way. As things were at this point, I was happy to have Alice as a friend and if it amounted to nothing more then that was fine. For all I knew, the kiss from the night before was just a reflection of intimacy Alice longed to release, and after all it was unlikely she considered me anything more than a friend as we were both quite young and merely grateful for each other's company.

Several minutes later, as I was mopping up the last of my egg with a half-eaten slice of bread, I heard the distant, slow chime of the Spook's bell. Being the only person within earshot of the bell, I left the rest of my meal (hurriedly thanking the boggart) and left the house to answer the call for Spook's business. The air was crisp - it was November after all - and a hazy mist hung in the air. Thrusting my hands into the pockets of my breeches, I walked on into the clearing to greet the person in need of assistance. A boy about my age stepped towards me, with shoulder length blond hair and fresh-faced features, extending his left hand for me to shake and smiling warmly. He was well-dressed and obviously a reasonably well-respected young man, but he showed no signs of a snobbish attitude or shame in approaching me, as his hand was still extended to shake my own. I was taken aback, as it was very unusual to meet someone who was even remotely comfortable in a Spook's presence, let alone someone with the confidence to shake a Spook's hand.

"Good morning! My name's Adam Leavy, you must be John Gregory's apprentice" said the boy cheerily. Before I could say a word, he clasped my hand and shook it firmly, positively beaming all the while.

"Can I help you with something, Adam?" I managed finally, still intrigued by the on-hands approach of the boy.

"It's not so much me who needs help, it's my family. You see, there's been some turmoil in the house as of late. It started as nothing more than a few banging doors and cupboards at night, but recently we've had windows broken, furniture moved and even physical contact. Just a few days ago I was thrown from my bed as I was drifting off to sleep - it scared me, I can tell you!" Up until Adam mentioned the physical interaction, I was certain that a rogue stone-chucker boggart was to blame. However, only a powerful ghost could physically harm someone and still remain invisible. It made no sense, so I guided Adam back towards the house and instructed him to wait outside the boundary fence in order to keep him a safe distance from the boggart. Still puzzled by his story, I quickly went inside, passed through the now-clean kitchen and out into the garden. My guess would be that my master would be equally intrigued as I was, and so, still weighing up plausible explanations for the events at Adam's house, I strode up to my master and began to relay Adam's story quickly.

**Any thoughts? A review would be very much appreciated, thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3: Skeleton key

**Author's note: Another chapter, aren't you all lucky? I have some ideas about where this plot is going, I hope you like it. Yet again, I don't own the Wardstone Chronicles or anything within it. This includes placenames, locations and characters.**

"A very curious story indeed, lad. I'd like to speak with Mr. Leavy myself though, just to get a clearer picture of this whole ordeal". My master's brow was furrowed in thought, and he was visibly intrigued and baffled by this story. As Alice, the Spook and I left the house, I lined my pockets with a large pile of salt and iron filings, then proceeded to check the recess on my blade's staff incase this spirit at the Leavy household was a creature of the dark - it was looking much more likely to be by the minute. The Spook approached Adam Leavy with confidence and a reassuring seriousness, but was just as surprised as I was when Adam rose quickly from a log he was resting on and grasped my master's hand in an embrace.

"John Gregory, it's quite an honour, sir" Adam said, beaming as he enthusiastically shook my master's hand (much to his bewilderment) and gestured towards the road leading away from our home. "Could we discuss matters while we walk? I'm under strict instructions to bring you home as soon as possible!" Adam said, walking quickly ahead of me and Alice at my master's side. My master could sense the urgency in Adam's voice, so the two of them peeled off ahead of us, striding purposefully and talking amongst each other animatedly. Me and Alice hung back a little, mainly so I could talk to her in relative privacy.

"Something wrong, Tom?" Alice could always tell when something was on my mind, and I was just about to speak my mind to her when my master's voice broke the growing silence.

"Lad! I want you to go back to the house and find a very special book in my library. Use my brother's skeleton key and find a black book entitled 'A Spook's Guide to the Paranormal'. Oh, and don't think about joining him, girl. I want you where I can keep an eye on you..." he said, his voice dangerously low when he spoke to Alice. I was dismayed, but to my surprise Alice spoke up and took my master aback.

"Your library is very big, ain't that so? If Tom AND me look for your book, we'll find it much faster." My master pondered over this for a second, then nodded with an impatient sigh.

"Make it quick then and join the eastern road to Pendle - that's where Master Leavy and I are headed."

Alice and I reached the house within a minute, opened up the rusty door with Andrew's skeleton key and headed for the library. When we reached it, the room should have been bathed in the pale orange glow of a November morning, but it was still too dim to see many of the books because only a sliver of light crept through the drapes of the window, so I picked up a candle stub and set to work lighting it with my tinderbox. I was vaguely aware of Alice lingering behind me, and I almost jumped when I stood up, turned around and was nearly touching noses with her.

"I can tell you're thinking about something, Tom. Something you ain't telling me..." she said suspiciously as I awkwardly moved backwards and fumbled with the candle stub. I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, then began searching for the book. As I absent-mindedly picked through a random row of books, I decided it was best to be honest with Alice.

"It's just... the Spook doesn't like us being... so close, you know?" the words fell so awkwardly out of my mouth that I felt instantly very uncomfortable and aware that Alice and me were completely alone.

"He's just jealous because he hasn't got a friend like you have..." Alice stalked slowly up to me, that same eager look in her eye as when she kissed me in the western garden, and my heart started beating rapidly. She was so close now, I could almost feel her silky hair on my cheek again. I could feel myself sweating, my heart still hammering away as she stopped just inches from my face- and then the candle guttered out.

"I'll just erm, get my er tinderbox..." my voice trailed off into the gloom as I fumbled with the tinderbox on my knees, banging my arm heavily on the bookcase. Cursing in irritation, I heard Alice giggle and then saw her outline move off to the window.

"Save yourself the trouble, Tom. I'll get some light in here" she said, as light flooded the room with a hazy orange glow. When I turned to look at her, she was holding a black book in her left hand and smiling.

"Let's take this to Old Gregory. He wants us back quick, can't keep him waiting, can we?" Alice was right, so I just nodded and led the way back outside. As we walked briskly back to rejoin the path, I couldn't help but shake off that uncomfortable moment back in the library. Or the one in the kitchen earlier. Or the one in the bed. Alice had this comforting yet bizarre effect on me, and I briefly contemplated if she had been using some minor form of glamour or fascination to toy with me. That was ridiculous - Alice was my friend and she'd never play around with me like that! Upon rejoining the road east to Pendle, we quickened our pace and I came to the conclusion that Alice didn't intentionally make me feel like this - it was probably me just getting excited now that I had a close friend I could be intimate with. This made me feel much better, and a bit stupid to suspect that kind of trickery from Alice. As my only real friend, I wanted to keep that bond between us.I rubbed my sore arm from banging the bookcase and mulled these thoughts over, and as if she'd read my mind, Alice spoke up:  
>"You can't injure that arm - remember Tom, that one belongs to me!" she joked, and we both laughed as we raced each other towards the distant figures of my master and Adam Leavy.<p>

**Feel free to comment, I'll update again if I get some reviews :P Thanks for taking the time to read.**


	4. Chapter 4: On the road

**Another chapter for you all, as I was hoping to get one more done before Christmas (Call of Duty and Skyrim will take over my life). As usual, I am obliged to say that I do not own any of the characters, locations or placenames within the Wardstone Chronicles, all properties of the series belong to Joseph Delaney.**

As we drew level with my master and Adam, the rain of mid-morning began to creep out of the mist and fleck into our faces. It seemed that whatever my master and Adam were discussing, it was now dealt with and Adam had the opportunity to talk with me Alice and I. I opened my mouth, about to crack some small talk when Adam sidled up with Alice and quickly took her hand in his own, smiling warmly.

"It seems we're yet to be properly acquainted. I'm embarrassed to say I don't know your name" Adam said quickly, and Alice let out a surprised and strange giggle I've never heard her utter before. It sounded as if she was forcing it, though she suddenly seemed thoroughly engrossed in Adam's attention and shyed away from his grinning face, going red.

"It's Alice" she said, biting her lower lip and looking deep into his eyes. Adam kissed her hand, eyes still locked onto Alice's, and quietly replied:  
>"Adam Leavy... it's a sincere pleasure to meet you, Alice" he said silkily, to an eruption of giggles from Alice, her face reddening all the while. I felt a pang of jealousy but I knew Alice wasn't so easily amused.<p>

"You're such a charmer, Adam!" Alice teased, lightly slapping his left arm, still red in the face and reluctantly pulling her hand away from Adam's grip. He merely smirked and shrugged his shoulders in response, so I forced a snorted laugh to humour him. Alice slyly edged closer to me as we walked, and I felt a tremendous sense of smugness. I was about to scoff to Alice how overly-forthcoming Adam was being, but she jumped suddenly from my side and began animatedly chatting with Adam. I watched them talking for some time, immersed in one another's words without respite, but soon became bored and, rolling my eyes and sighing impatiently, I decided to catch up to my master and blag my way through a conversation.

"Do you have an idea what we may be fighting yet?" I asked tentatively, however my master merely strode onwards shaking his head.  
>"Lad, this could be one of two things. The good news is, the book you fetched for me -<strong> He held out his hand and took the book quickly - <strong>can tell us how to deal with both. The bad news is - **he shook his head again - **both creatures I have in mind are extremely dangerous". I glanced back at Alice and Adam to see them still talking, then turned to my master and feigned interest.

"Mr. Gregory, how long will it take us to reach Pendle from here?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation. My master showed no sign of hearing my question at all - instead he looked totally immersed in the page he was reading. He was muttering to himself and for the first time since setting off, I actually took a moment for myself to ponder over what we might find at the Leavy household. My previous assumptions of a boggart were being shattered before my eyes, as my master had made it unnervingly clear that something far more dangerous was at hand. I found myself shaking my head and thinking to myself 'only in Pendle...' when Alice and Adam began laughing loudly to interrupt my thoughts. I wasn't jealous like I was earlier, instead I felt glad that they were getting along - after all, it was always a nightmare travelling with Alice and Mab.

Several hours later, my master could go on no further and so he decided to rest for the usual nibble of county cheese and an hour's rest. I laid down to rest against a moss-ridden log, looking up into the darkening sky and breathing steam into the cold air. I was still pondering, without success, any logical causes of the disturbances at the Leavy household, absent-mindedly counting the whispy clouds above me and following them across the sky. It felt surprisingly cool for a November evening, so I took the opportunity to really relax and take in the calm, growing darkness of the night. Little sound could be heard, only Adam talking in hushed voices with my master Alice sat herself down next to me, picking up the hem of her black dress and cushioning herself over my legs.

"Hello Tom. Getting late, isn't it? Has Old Gregory told you what we might find at Adam's house?"

"Yes, it is late. No, Mr Gregory hasn't said yet" I replied, still deep in thought. Alice looked disappointed but she nodded in understanding, picking at a brown leaf on the ground and sighing.

"He needs some light, it's too dark for Old Gregory to read that book... do you think he'd appreciate me offering him this lantern?" Alice said, picking up a rusty, discarded lantern from the floor and holding it aloft.

"Probably not" I said, grinning up at her. She stuck her tongue out and brushed the grime away from the cracked glass of the lantern. I had to admit, even if I was offered the lantern I would probably have rejected it. The metal outer casing that seperated the glass was buckling under the weight of the lid, the glass was intact on only 3 faces of the lantern, dark green moss and grime was smeared upon each face, and muddy leaves fell out of the broken glass face as Alice shook it.

"It's ruined... but reckon it still works, I do" Alice said, inspecting each glass face closely. Then, checking that my master wasn't looking, she brushed her hand over the broken glass and the candle inside flickered into life. I had to stop myself from crying out in disbelief - Alice had used dark magic to ignite the lantern! She pushed a soft finger to my lips, then as I was about to protest she whispered a hushed 'sshhh' and giggled to herself. I only sighed and shook my head, weakly smiling at her child-like mannerisms.

"Got a lantern here, I have. It might help you read that book of yours" Alice said loudly. My master was straining his eyes to read the page he was on, glancing up at Alice with a flicker of annoyance on his face, which turned to momentary relief when she held the lantern up to her face and motioned it towards him.

"Thank you, girl, however I think the lad will be needing it more. Take notes on this page" Mr Gregory said, turning to me and tapping the book. Alice walked over and collected the book from him, then (unable to shrug off her tremendous curiosity) raised the lantern to the page as her eyes narrowed in concentration then alarmingly widened in fear. She tentatively gave the book to me, carefully guiding the lantern over the page until I could properly see the detailed illustration and delicate handwriting below. I realised immediately why the book had alarmed Alice; the creature of the dark my master was referring to on the page was a frightening and bizarre-looking being. About 5 feet high, the creature was thin and had long, hairy arms. Lengthy, clawed hands protruded from its bony wrists and its face was contorted into a twisted grin, revealing jagged teeth sitting comfortably within a poweful jawline. The creatue had two long, thin legs, each disproportionately muscular to the rest of its body and ending in 3-toed feet with pointed claw nails. The thing that struck me most was the eyes, though - they were within thin slits, cold and lifeless eyes that felt like they were boring into my own, mocking me with malice twinkling inside them.

Cheers for reading, feel free to leave a review (it will be much appreciated!)


	5. Chapter 5: Wretched weather

**Another chapter for you all. Hope everyone has had a good start to the year and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Reviews are much appreciated.**

"It's called a Shadow Wretch" my master said as I took in the vivid picture on the page. I nodded.

"But I'll let you read the rest for yourself" he added, so I took the lantern from Alice and held it over the page so that I could read the information entry for the Shadow Wretch.

'_A Shadow Wretch (alternatively named 'Spite Demon' or 'Wretched Shade') is a widely-feared spiritual being that haunts the homes of those that in life they despised, with the sole intention to ruin the routine and lifestyle of the living inhabitants. They are formed when a corrupt, hateful soul exits the body and cannot cross over to the dark. They are trapped in limbo because their desire to harm another soul is so great that they use their remaining life-force to cling to the earth, manifesting itself in a new form - a shape-shifting demon with the mind and physical strength of its body in life. Hideous in appearance, the Shadow Wretch has been increasingly recognised across the world by children and adults alike as a demon. A Shadow Wretch has the unique ability to make itself invisible in shadows/moonlight if it so chooses, but can also shift into the body of its previous form in life and project itself into the dreams of those within the home it terrorises. Shadow Wretches are resistant to exorcisms and the only method that is guaranteed to banish them to the dark is for them to make peace with the inhabitants of their selected haunt (although other methods may be plausible but as of yet are unconfirmed).'_

I finished reading the passage and sighed - this was by no means going to be an easy job. Following my master's orders, I took notes on the Shadow Wretch and closed up my notebook, lying back on the log to get some more rest before we continued our journey east.

"Sorry, lad, but we have to get moving immediately" said my master, to which I nodded in understanding and forced myself up. Alice suddenly straightened up, alert as a dog. She took the lantern from me and briskly walked back onto the path, sniffing and peering into the darkness on the road.

"Something nasty coming this way, there is. We should get off the road, now!" Alice said, panic etched across her face. My master opened his mouth to question her but then thought better of it, ducking behind a bush to my left. I went to grab Alice's hand and guide her to safety myself, but Adam sprang from behind me and took her by the arm behind the cover of a tree. The lantern was dropped to the floor with a clatter and guttered out, leaving us holding our breaths in the darkness, all eyes locked on the road. Alice didn't scare easily, whatever she had sniffed out for us must be some kind of threat. After about a minute had passed, a dozen or so men armed heavily came jogging past our hiding place, looking nervously around at each other and talking quietly. All I heard was 'pendle' and 'magic' before they'd moved out of earshot. So it was another patrol sweeping across the county, this time with Pendle as its target. I felt a smile creep across my face when I mentally pictured these burly soldiers encountering a witch coven for the first time, then pulled dad's tinderbox from my pocket and set about lighting the lantern again.

"Good initiative, lad. We'll be travelling onwards now so we'll need that lantern" said my master, and I lit the candle within it quickly and turned to face him. Before I could lift the lantern to my eye level and locate my master again, though, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Alice and Adam leaning against a tree. Alice was comfortably relaxing into Adam's arms, her head just beneath his chin and her hands holding his own against her chest. She looked calm and content; Adam was protecting her like a father would protect his child. Alice looked embarassed suddenly and I observed as she awkwardly pulled herself from his embrace when she noticed me looking. My master looked fed up as he came from his hiding place, and motioned for us to move onto the road.

"Anything else out there we're in mortal peril from?" he asked Alice, his voice palpably laced in sarcasm. Alice went to answer him back but then (wisely) bit her lip and politely shook her head, leading the way back onto the road without a glance back at him.

As the night steadily wore on, rain began to whip into our faces and envelope our surroundings in a chilly, dampening mist that impaired our vision so much that even Adam had to stop us and scout ahead because he was quickly becoming lost (although he was far too proud to admit it). We quickened our pace to make up ground but eventually we were forced to seek shelter under several intertwined willow trees. We were 2 hours from Pendle itself, but my master grudgingly announced that we could go no further until morning when the rain would have cleared. The now soft ground was turning to sludge beneath our feet, so, after glancing over at Alice shivering, my master suggested that we test just how effective our winter clothes could be and take refuge in the lower branches of the trees. Each of us though it a good idea except for Alice, whose dressed looked miserably water-absorbant and uncomfortable. Adam looked cluelessly lost despite swearing to us earlier 'I know this terrain like the back of my hand!' - this had subsequently proved to be a lie.  
>"I'll just erm... go on and scout ahead for a few minutes" he said anxiously, his previous slick and cool style replaced by frustration and, amusingly, extreme concentration on his pocket map. He pushed his way out of the lush willow leaves (which were surprisingly in full bloom despite the season) and was swallowed up by the rain in seconds and lost from view. I felt something lightly drop onto my head and looked up at a waving Alice, who was playfully swinging her legs and grinning like a troublesome village girl half her age. She beckoned me to climb up and join her on a thick willow branch, and I happily obeyed.<p>

"Lovely weather we're having, would you not agree my dear Tom?" she said, putting on a poor but comical impersonation of what sounded to me like one of those snobbish knights you might see travelling with the King and his glamourous friends in the big city.

"Indeed, Alice, my most perceptive and gracious lady" I replied, mimicking the accent and bowing theatrically before her. We laughed for a good while and Alice relaxed against my right side, brushing her surprisingly dry hair from out of her eyes. She hummed a little tune to herself and clasped my wet right hand in her left. We sat there together for quite some time, myself blissfully content and not in the slightest bit bothered by the miserable weather.

"You know Tom... I ain't been Pendle in a long time, and I know it ain't the place I'd choose to live out my days... but I really like helping you and Old Gregory get your jobs done. Looking forward to this little trip, I am!" she said excitedly, still swinging her legs and absent-mindedly twiddling our fingers together. Just then, I took a moment to think about it and found that one of the things I most liked about Alice was her optimism. When you take into account the trouble that Alice has been through, it's amazing to see just how genuinely happy she is most of the time. It's plain to see that she never had an easy childhood, but honestly I've never known anyone to have such a consistently positive outlook on every situation they're placed in. Alice was definitely one of a kind.

**Short, I know, but all of my chapters are deliberately written like that to keep the story short, sharp and flowing.**

**Not meaning to offend anyone here who prefers the content-packed epics here on Fan Fiction, I just find that one can easily lose interest in a story if it drags on too much. Anyway, thank you for reading this and a thank you to those who've taken the time to review so far. Plenty more ideas in my warped little mind, more chapters will be on the way soon.**


	6. Chapter 6: Can you wield a staff?

**I never had a plotline properly thought out before I started writing this, things just come to me whenever and I think "That could work". Never fear, I actually have a good idea where things could go from here. I'm obliged to say I own nothing of the Wardstone Chronicles, none of the features within it are mine and they all belong to Joseph Delaney (who deserves more recognition for his work).**

Awakening at the foot of the willow tree some hours later, I rubbed my eyes and sat up aching - the ground was never the softest of beds. Alice was sleeping adjacently to me at the trunk of the willow tree, her face a calm, contented smile. I thought of waking her but she looked all too happy sleeping there soundly, her hands neatly folded over each other across her stomach and not a hair out of place on her head. I could only guess that she'd had experience sleeping in the great outdoors before, which reminded me of not only her carefree love of nature but also some of the hard times she might have fallen on that I didn't know about. To her left, several feet away, lay Alice's opposite himself - my master, his face troubled and uncomfortable as he fidgeted in his sleep, sprawled on the grass like an old drunk. I smiled to myself at his lack of tolerance of nature, yet at the same time knew that the job we were soon to begin was more likely the cause of his troubled sleep. Deciding it was best to stretch my legs and get a feel for the terrain now the rain had cleared, I tiptoed past Adam (who was sleeping just as contentedly and comfortably as Alice) and pushed through the still-wet leaves of the willow tree.

Appearing on the other side of a sheet of shrubbery, I was delighted to find that there were rabbits everywhere - this meant that Alice would catch some for us later and we could eat a good meal. Walking through the dimly sunlit clearing, the realisation came to me that my master would insist on our fasting before facing the dark, and because Alice and Adam would not be taking part in our work then they would get to eat whatever they wanted. It just so happened that I was particularly hungry this morning and my stomach groaned in disappointment at my revelation. Half-heartedly whistling as I walked aimlessly through the surrounding foliage, I soon heard raised voices nearby, accompanied by the patter of multiple footsteps on twigs and leaves. Two men draped in black cloaks were briskly walking through the trees to my left, talking animatedly about soldiers. They noticed me all of a sudden, so I nodded politely in their direction and they went on their way, nodding back and mumbling a 'morning' as they passed me, giving me a wide berth (no doubt because I was dressed in my Spook's attire). Grinning to myself at this, I began to wander off back in the direction of the copse of willow trees we were using as camp, grateful that it was no longer raining and we were being graced with a rare, mild-weathered day.

Once the others had woken up, brushed themselves off and prepared for the rest of the day's travel, my master confirmed my dismay in the lack of food for us both due to the fact that we would be facing the dark soon. Predictably, Alice and Adam were treated to eating rabbit to their heart's content, and the two of them hung back to talk and eat while my master and I walked ahead and talked.  
>"Have you ever dealt with one of these Shadow Wretches before?" I asked politely, to a slow shake of the head from my master.<br>"Whenever we deal with something from the dark that neither of us has encountered before, we must always be vigilant and extremely careful" he said ominously, then added "never turn your back...and always have your notebook at the ready". Nodding knowingly, I patted the notebook in my inside jacket pocket and played with the recessed blade in my staff half-heartedly. A smile split across my master's face suddenly, and he turned to face Adam.

"Master Leavy, can you wield a sword?" he asked loudly, and Adam, surprised, nodded enthusiastically.

"I've been trained in swordplay from a young age, sir. Oh, and please... call me Adam, Mr Gregory" Adam said politely, bowing slightly and hurrying to meet us.

"Well then, Adam... do you think you could wield a staff?" my master asked, his eyes glinting with a brilliant idea reflected in them. Adam nodded again, this time refraining from bowing before my master and instead his eyes searched around for a stick he could use to show off his talent with a staff.

"You're a little bigger than the lad, Adam. Use mine" my master said coolly, throwing his staff to Adam, who caught it expertly and began squeezing and slowly spinning it, testing it for weight and balance.

"What for, sir?" Adam asked eventually, but I had already guessed what my master's response would be.

"The lad here is getting sloppy and he hasn't trained for a while. I think it would be good of you to test his reflexes in some hand to hand combat. You say you're skilled in swordplay but could you overcome my apprentice, a promising young staffmaster?" my master said, slyly shooting a wink and a grin my way. I looked at Adam. Suddenly his slight bulk advantage over me seemed huge, and he held the staff casually as though he'd mastered the art of it long ago. Nonetheless, I was never one to back out of a challenge I thought I had a chance of winning - as a younger boy I'd often taken part in playfights with my older brothers, how different could this be?

"I think it's a good idea" Alice piped up, looking excited. "Tom's very good!" she said, confidently. I couldn't prevent the grin from breaking out on my face, and I felt myself blushing in her praise.

"Then it's settled then! Adam, Tom - when you're ready..." my master said, stepping aside and motioning for us to enter a well-trodden clearing to his left. He took a seat on a moss-stained log several yards away, and Alice reluctantly joined him, sitting on the opposite side of the log and crossing her legs. Adam gave me a short smile and strode past me into the centre of the clearing, kicking aside some twigs and rocks that might trip us. I followed, feeling relatively confident but at the back of my mind always wary of Adam's powerful-looking muscles. Positioning myself about 10 feet away from him, I held my staff diagonally in a defensive position and locked eyes with Adam's piercing blue ones. He looked deep in concentration, then suddenly blinked, glanced over at our spectators and took up the same position himself.

"Ready?" he said, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck from side to side. I nodded, confirming the beginning of our duel.

Adam came at me like lightning. He struck upwards as he lunged towards me, forcing a defensive arc of my staff to block his own. The impact jarred on my arm, and it was at that moment I realised just how strong Adam could really be. He was merely testing my balance with that starting lunge and yet it felt like a witch striking my staff with all of her might. Before I could counter his move, he span counter-clockwise and brought his staff crashing down towards my head, under which I ducked at the last second and leaned back from, holding my balance with my weaker right arm while my left swung out with the staff to ensure he kept his distance while I recovered. He strafed around me, walking counter-clockwise while his eyes bore into mine, daring me to attack. I waited for the next moment he glanced over at our spectators before I struck, taking him my surprise from the left with a rising swing of my staff, catching his own and surprising him.  
>"Good arm, there" he muttered, impressed. Deftly blocking my next jab, Adam rolled suddenly to his left, aiming to strike my right side while I turned to face him. However, I foresaw his attack and lunged forward, whirling to meet his staff with my own diving swing. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice get to her feet and cheer, which inspired me to try my favourite trick against Adam by transferring my staff from one hand to the other and striking forward. It had worked before and I had faith it would work for me again, so, taking a deep breath, I moved to meet Adam's next glancing blow with my staff in my weak right hand, then quickly flicked it onto my left and struck out at his neck with all the force I could muster. Surprised by the sleight of hand I'd shown, Adam couldn't bring his own staff up in time and panic flickered in those blue eyes as my staff connected with his Adam's Apple <em><strong>(Author's note: that's an intentional joke). <strong>_He staggered backwards to a hopeful gasp from the log behind me, but my mistake was checking to see who it had come from. I left myself totally open to Adam's counter-attack, and realised this just as he swung, full-force, at my own neck. Blocking his staff an inch away from what would have been a devastating blow, his brute strength caused me to overbalance and stumble, losing most of the control I had over my legs AND my staff. Almost in slow-motion, I realised the cost of my folly as Adam coolly swung, one-handed, at my left leg, crashing against my knee and buckling my stance. Unable to recover quick enough, I watched in dismay as Adam swung from the ground upwards, knocking my staff from my grip, high into the air. Watching it soar end over end away from me, I managed to force myself back to a standing position - just in time to meet Adam's flying kick to my chest.  
>"Tom!" I heard Alice shout somewhere far off in the background, as I flew several feet backwards and landed with a tremendous splash into a muddy puddle. I cursed myself mentally for my foolishness, looking over towards the spectator's log to see my master's disappointed and slightly worried face staring back at me. Alice ran towards me, but Adam was already leaning over me with a worried expression on his own face. He extended his hand for me to take, then grinned once he'd realised that there was no major damage and that all he'd really hurt was my pride. Politely forcing a smile, I allowed him to pull me to my feet before I congratulated him.<p>

"That was... that was very impressive, Adam. Ni... nice swing" I managed breathlessly. To be fair to Adam, he had looked genuinely concered when I was on the floor, and he took his victory as gracefully as one could. He wasn't gloating or showing off in any way, just cracking a modest smile as my master patted him on the back and insisting he 'shouldn't have been so rough'. Alice hurried over and took my reddened cheeks in her hands, relief in her sympathetic smile as she stroked me gently.

"Never turn your back, Tom. Don't want you scaring me like that!" she scolded, but I knew she wasn't really angry at me, just glad that I was back on my feet so quickly. Adam came over, now looking thoroughly guilty.

"Adam, you've hurt him... he's too skinny for a fight like that!" Alice said, and we all laughed, including my master as he joined the group, taking his staff back from Adam. As I went to collect my own staff from a bed of thistles on the side of the path, I vowed to never be so careless in a fight again. Never turn your back, Tom... never turn your back.


	7. Chapter 7: A welcoming arrival

**Apologies for the wait since my previous chapter, I have been extremely busy. Now, I must first tell you that with this chapter, I actually know where I'm going with the narrative plot. Secondly, I must warn you that this story is going to get darker from this point on so I may have to bump the rating up to T. Thirdly, I own nothing of the Wardstone Chronicles and it all belongs to Joseph Delaney. Let's continue.**

It was sometime later that day that we finally reached Pendle. Much like the transition from afternoon to dusk, the sky was becoming noticeably darker and the air colder, despite it being roughly 3 o clock. I disliked the presence I got from the initial outskirts; it was much like the ominous foreboding of a storm and something just didn't feel quite right. I was contemplating the problems this could cause when suddenly my master led us off to the right at the instruction of Adam, and we skirted around the edge of a group of houses to join a wide, cobbled path. Adam sighed happily as we walked up the gentle incline the path presented, then pointed to something out of my view as we reached the top of the small hill. Alice gasped in sheer awe at the sight that met her gaze. The Leavy household was huge: a monstrous mansion with extensive grounds and what appeared to be a manually-trimmed hedge statue of an elaborate family crest. The main house was of a black marble and brick structure, stretching up at least 3 floors and boasting a number of large windows, perfectly positioned out of reach from some controlled-grown ivy that was snaking its way stylishly up the front wall.

"Good evening, Master Adam sir!" said a short and burly gentleman to our immediate left. The man had seemingly stepped out of the surrounding woods, however I realised he had a guard post positioned to the left of the gate we were standing close by to. Adam nodded in the direction of the uniformed guard, so the man hurriedly pulled a tangle of keys from his pocket and plucked a thick gold one from the middle, inserted it into the slot of a large padlock on the gate (with the same crest emblazened as on the hedge statue) and turned the key. The gate groaned as the lock broke neatly in symmetrical half, swinging the gate outwards and permitting us entry to the Leavy property. Adam smiled and spoke up as we proceeded to walk down the 300-yard gravel stone pathway to the mansion front door.

"Welcome to my home, Mr Gregory. Tom. Alice." Adam grinned at us in turn, motioning towards the colossal house before us.

"Nice place you got, Adam." Alice said, still in awe. I rolled my eyes at the excessive grandeur of the building and grounds, but deep inside I knew it was just the jealousy of myself being a simple farmboy rather than a nobleman. As we walked down the soft gravel of the path, I noticed how the property was designed in the shape of a large circle, the lawns meeting a wrought iron fence that encircled the entire property and kept it seperate from the unkempt woods beyond. With the guard on watch and what I estimated to be 10-foot iron bars making up what could have easily been a simple wooden fence, I realised that the home was near-impenetrable should anyone try to trespass. I noticed a stable and gauntlet for jousting on the rigt-hand side of the lawns, spanning almost the 500-yard length of the full grounds.

"Training to be a knight, Adam?" I asked jokingly. Adam shot me a knowing glance and laughed.

"Jousting and horse-riding isn't of any interest to me, Tom." I nodded back and kept walking, not really paying attention to Adam. "Swordplay, as you know, is my specialty" he added, smiling and walking ahead of us towards the door. My master chuckled to himself.

Shortly after we exchanged greetings and pleasantries with Adam's nervous father in the surprisingly small and humble entrance hall, my master wished to speak with him alone before we ate our dinner. Dinner. That's a thought - perhaps if my master is unable to detect any immediate threat from the dark, we could actually enjoy a proper meal. Alice read my mind through one quick glance at my glazed eyes.  
>"Hungry, are we?" she asked rhetorically, smiling and walking over to the nearest window. Adam heard his father call and strode down a large corridor to follow him and my master to the dining hall, leaving me and Alice alone. Alice and I seemed to realise this at the exact same moment, and we both shyed away from each other's eyes in synchronicity. To take my mind away from the growing tension in the air, I allowed my thoughts to stray to whatever it could be my master and the Leavys were discussing - probably Shadow Wretches.<br>"What do you er... what do you think of Leavy Manor?" I asked, breaking the tension. Alice was still staring out of the window at the elaborate grounds surrounding us.  
>"It's wonderful" she said quietly, to my dismay. I had been clinging to the hope that she would scoff at the grandeur of it all, then to my surprise - "It's all a bit snobby though ain't it Tom?" - I looked up and sniggered quietly. Then she added, to my childish delight: "I'd rather be at your farmhouse, truth be told"<p>

That night, after a (thankfully) large dinner, Alice, Adam and I were sent to bed while my master and Mr. Leavy talked furthur over a bottle of wine. They seemed to be getting on well and I'd decided that Adam's father was a good man who simply feared for his estate and more importantly, the safety and sanity of his family. I bid Alice and Adam goodnight, then tiredly shuffled into my assigned guest bedroom. And what a bedroom it was! No longer surprised by the alluring grandeur of Leavy Manor, I yawned and shook my head as I took in the colossal wooden pillars holding up the monstrous beams 15 feet above my head. To my immediate left, there was a marble fireplace adorned above with an elaborate painting of what looked faintly like Adam's father, only taller - most likely a past lord of the Leavy household. The real inviting aspect was, however, a bed before me that could have easily fit my master, Alice and myself with room to spare. The bed looked so enticing and welcoming, I barely had time to scrabble my boots and clothes off before I felt my eyes drooping and my head gently cushioning into the feathered pillow. Smiling to myself and already looking forward to a long, blissful sleep, I couldn't possibly have predicted the night I was about to experience.

**You know the drill by now. Comments are greatly appreciated - I thrive on feedback. Hope you liked this chapter, now that I've finished my exams and college for the summer I will be able to update much more.**


	8. Chapter 8: A rough night

**Another chapter - sorry for the wait, I bought Skyrim in late June and it has consumed me since. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you very much for the support thus far. **

I was running up a hill of long, muddy grass, out of breath and my chest burning up all the while. '_Alice' _I thought. _'I have to get to Alice'. _Slowing my pace and taking in the surroundings, two things were replaying in my mind: I had to get to Alice and I had to find a ruby-studded gold ring. Why - I had absolutely no idea. The sky was typical of mid-evening and a crimson moon was rising from the distant hills. _'I'm lost' _I thought with dismay, mustering the strength to run more and more. As I breached the peak of the hill I was climbing, the ground became dry and the grass shorter, which suggested that a large group of people or a heavy object had been here recently. The sight before me was a creaking set of wooden gallows, eerily lit by the reddened moon in the background. There was only one figure present other than myself- a large man dressed in makeshift executioner clothing. The black, cape-like clothing hugged his body as he stood oppositional to the wind, which died down as I approached, giving him the illusion of levitating because his clothes twisted and folded back on his body like snakes. He raised a meaty fist and extended a single finger towards me. He twisted his hand slowly, almost in slow motion, until it became a beckoning finger. One glance at the taught gallows ropes told me to run, so I span to run back down the hill, only to meet the hooded executioner immediately behind me, no longer beckoning but gripping my throat and pulling me into the eternal, suffocating folds of his cloak.

I sat up, vaguely aware that I was no longer alone in the guest bedroom. Expecting to see Alice or my master, I squinted in the pitch black darkness and felt around to find that I was not in my bed like I expected, but what felt like dry grass. Was I dreaming or not? The hairs trembled and pricked on the back of my neck, as my breath turned steamy in the growing icy atmosphere. I swallowed down my growing sense of fear, steeling myself to face whatever the dark might throw at me. I thought to myself '_you're only dreaming, Tom' _and took some comfort in this as I took a deep breath.  
>"Not anymore you're not" a deep voice drawled from across the room. I jumped a near foot in the air, my eyes searching the still total darkness. "It's more a nightmare" the voice added ominously.<p>

"Show yourself!" I called out, my voice strong but myself still wary and cautious. Instantly, flames leapt up on the other side of the room in the fireplace, illuminating the outline of a tall and bulky figure. I jumped again despite my best efforts to keep some composure, drawing a cold and raspy laugh from the figure. I could still only see him as a black outline, which gave him an aura of mystery and quickened my pulse in the dark.

"Why is the fireplace over there, but I'm no longer in my bed?" I asked, trying to avoid any furthur personal points such as this figure's ability to read my thoughts.  
>"Forgive the intrusion" said the dark figure in a mocking tone. "I only wanted a little chat but you legged it, so I had to snap you out of your dream and appear in your -<strong>he looked around briefly- <strong>fancy room." I couldn't pinpoint the accent on this man, but it sounded like he was from the big city - London that is. It wasn't the dialect of a nobleman, however, but more that of a suburbian, simple man. By the rasp of his tone, I took him to be partial to pipesmoking and possibly a drinker. Ale was, as my dad would proudly say whilst enjoying a frothy mug, the common man's refreshment. Whatever this man's background, I did not trust him in the slightest.  
>"You're still technically dreaming. In fact, this isn't really happening. I can talk to you inside your head <strong>-his voice rang out momentarily as if inside my very ears- <strong>if I like, or snap my fingers and turn your little world upside down - **he snapped for emphasis on the last syllable- **if I feel like it... I control everything" he said matter-of-factly, before pausing as though awaiting my response.  
>"I don't believe you. You're just a bad dream" I managed, pulling the bedsheets over my head then sharply jumping backwards to find them turn to razor-sharp thorns and nettles in my very hands.<br>"I can do whatever I want to, and indeed I WILL - unless you do what I ask" the figure said sharply, and I really began to fear him. I pondered briefly over the extent of his powers, and at once the thought came into my head.  
>"What is it you want me to do? Are you a shadow wretch?"<br>"HA! I reckon you've been reading one too many of your master's books" he responded cruelly.  
>"Then how do you know who I am? How do you have such power?" I thought it wise to get as much information from this man as possible, maybe even get him distracted so I could reach into my cloak on the floor and retrieve some iron filings and salt.<p>

"I really wouldn't try it" he chuckled gleefully, as I remembered his ability to tap into my thoughts. "Besides, you're not in your room anymore. This isn't relevant though, what I need is you to do something for me. A favour" he added, serious now and business-like. My head was still reeling at the situation I was placed within, in particular at how confusing it all was. I steeled myself, took a deep breath and did what my duty as a spook's apprentice demanded.

"I won't help you. You're a creature of the dark and a spiteful shadow wretch. I'm not afraid of you!" I shouted aloud, when immediately the room went deathly silent and the fireplace extinguished. I held my breath in the silence, which seemed to last an eternity, until I no longer felt in a dream-like trance but totally aware and in control again. I smiled and laid back on my pillow to return to blissful sleep, when a deep voice inside my own head laughed cruelly and ran my blood cold in dread.

"You're going to help me, Tom Ward, or I'm going to torture you to madness. I can show you visions of pain and misery that the Fiend himself cannot. I could convince you to murder your best friend, take your own life, sell your soul or cease to breathe!" the shadow wretch boomed. I held my head tightly with both my hands and winced, writhing around as his voice threw threats and insults at me from a terrifyingly unreachable place.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" I finally shouted, ashamed that I had conceded to his torments so quickly.

"Now THAT is better! Let me show you, Tom..." he said smugly, before going quiet. For a moment, nothing happened, but then I felt myself sink into unconsciousness and become wrenched forwards into a dream.

Standing up, I found myself not on the hill with the gallows from earlier, but instead at a rickety old cottage. I was alone, but I felt drawn to the cellar of this home. Feeling oddly excited, I knew somehow to tear away the rug on the kitchen floor and open the trapdoor beneath, and before I knew it I was walking down a narrow winding staircase that felt somewhat familiar. Of course I knew I'd never been here before, and for this reason I calmed myself and desperately tried to make sense of my surroundings - I must be dreaming as someone else! I guided the body I was in knowingly through a heavy wooden, then towards a metal cage at the end of the room. Lying in the cage was a decaying skeleton, reaching through the rusted metal bars desperately for a jug of water someone had cruelly left just out of reach. That was when I noticed it - a gold necklace with a thick ruby-studded ring at the end of it, hanging around the skeleton's neck. Despite my terror, the body I was in eagerly approached and reached forward to snatch the ring, when suddenly the skull of this prisoner snapped round with a sickening crack, and his spindly bony fingers gripped my wrist painfully. I opened my mouth to scream - and then I woke up.

**Don't worry, a lot might seem to happening very quickly, but everything will be explained. As usual, feel free to leave a comment and thank you for taking the time to read.**


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